Organized crime surge around Quebec City prompts provincial police to send in help

Quebec provincial police is sending several of its officers specializing in organized crime to help Quebec City's police service, which has been dealing with a growing number of incidents involving street gangs and the Hells Angels.

Spokesperson Sgt. Benoit Richard with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says some operations are already underway and have resulted in arrests. 

At a news conference on Friday, Richard said the SQ deployed this plan following a series of crimes in Quebec City, Saguenay, the Lower St. Lawrence and North Shore.

Several regions of Quebec are experiencing a surge of violent crimes linked to gangs and several acts of violence including murders, kidnappings and torture which have been documented by police.

"The message is clear: we're going to go after anyone who commits these crimes, and we'll be taking them to court," said Richard. 

"We decided today to deploy an attack force to tell these people that it's enough and that we're going to put an end to the crimes." 

Sources tell Radio-Canada that for the past year, Quebec City street gangs and independent drug dealers have been refusing to pay Hells Angels a 10 per cent fee to sell drugs on their territories.

Radio-Canada reports that several suspects linked to the street gangs have rallied behind drug dealer Dave "Pic" Turmel, who is leading the battle against the bikers.

François Doré says it's become a power struggle. 

The former SQ police officer and police affairs analyst says a new generation of criminals has changed how — and where — business is conducted.

"They used to be around big cities. Now they're going almost everywhere in the province east of Quebec," said Doré.

"They will not obey the usual rules of organized crime."

Several incidents tied to organized crime

On the heels of the SQ's announcement, three people were arrested in connection with recent violent events in Saint-Malachie, Que. in which one man was killed and three other people injured.

This incident is believed to be the result of a conflict between the Hells Angels and independent Blood Family Mafia (BFM) dealers in the greater Quebec City area.

Armed conflicts between the Hells Angels and Quebec City's street gangs are on the rise in eastern Quebec. 

On Thursday evening, another man was injured in an armed attack in Montmagny, 80 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. According to Radio-Canada, police searches are underway and the SQ said there were indications of a possible link between this event and other violent crimes committed in recent weeks.

In a separate incident, Michaël Chouinard, a man who went missing on Wednesday in Saguenay, was found in Montreal alive but badly mutilated, reports Radio-Canada.

Municipal forces, including Saguenay police and others on the outskirts of Quebec City, will also be involved in operations to curb these episodes of violence, according to Radio-Canada.

Montreal police will not be sending specialized gang investigators for the time being.